Window screen



Nmx 2Q, 1928: L692 206 w. E. GRKF'FITHS WINDOW SCREEN Filed July 1.2, 1927 J0 an p INVENTOR. F| 5 WILL/AM E. GR/FF/THJ A TITORNEY.

l atented Nov. 20, 1928.

WILLIAM E. GRIFFITHS, or rnusnme, NEW YORK.

WINDOW SCREEN.

Application filed July 12,

The present invention relates to screens for excluding flies, mosquitoes and other insects from the interiors of dwelling houses, apartment houses and other buildings.

5 A principal object of the invention is to provide window L screens which may be quickly and conveniently rolled up and unrolled at will and which when in the unrolled or closed position are more or less tightly 1 stretched or taut and present a substantially plane surface unmarred in appearance by the presence of reinforcing or stiffening members.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a structure which is simple in construction, easily fabricated and which may be manufacturedat a moderate cost.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a structure which presents a neat and 0 attractive appearance both when the screen is unrolled and when it is rolled up and not in use. Y

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a simple and improved means for maintaining the screen fabric stretched or taut during periods of use.

The invention also includes means for housing the screen when it is rolled up and f not in use, thus protecting it from the elements and makin it unnecessary to remove the screen for storing during the cold season. @ther objects and advantages in the con struction and operation of my improved structure will appear or be pointed out in 3a the appended detailed description.

Referring to the drawing, wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of the invention: Fig. 1 is a view, in front elevation, with a portion broken away to illustrate the dis- 0 position of the structure within the housing .at the top, of an embodiment of the invention as applied to a house window;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1; 41 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and v Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the marginal uide members which will be more fully described hereinafter. In the drawing, 10 indicates the frame or casing of a window for a house or other building to which screens are to be applied. To the window frame or casing 10 is attached 1927. Serial No. 205,066.

a rectangular frame 11, which may be formed from sheet metal by stamping, pressing or other suitable metal working operations. The frame 11 comprises two vertical side sections 12, a bottom section 13 and a top section or housing 14. The sections 12 are preferably substantially tubular in cross section and are each provided with a narrow slit 15 on one side to receive one of the lateral edges of the flexible screen member 16. The side sections 12 are wider at the top than at the bottom and gradually taper outwardly toward the bottom so that the area defined within their inner margins is wider at the bottom than at the top. The flexible screen 16 is carried on a roller 17 mounted within the housing or hood 14. .The roller 17 may for convenience be an ordinary spring roller of the type used with window shades and the like. The screen member 16, consisting 7 of a copper or other flexible metal fabricof the desired mesh, is tapered from the top toward the bottom so as to correspond with the taper of the side sections 12 and is provided at its lateral edges, which may be reinforced or bound, witha plurality of spaced gulde members 18. These guide members are shown as spherical in shape and may be formed from any easily-workable metal. As shown in Fig. 5 they are provided with a 35 cleft or depressed portion permitting them to be fitted over the edge of the screen fabric and then compressed to close the cleft and firmly aflix them to the edge of the screen fabric. Other methods of attaching the guide members to the screen fabric will suggest themselves to those skilled in manufacturing metallicarticles of this class, and also, it is to be understood that the guide members 18 may assume other shapes than that indicated 9 without departing from the scope of the invention. It is essential, however, that such members be of such shape as to permit them to move freely along the channels 19 in the side sections 12 and also not to interfere with 1 the winding of the screen 16 on the roller'17.

It will be understood that the taper of the screen, the distances at which the guide members 18 are spaced and their size and shape will be so determined that when the screen is rolled up the guide members will not pile one upon the other but rather will be spaced not only circumferentially of the roller but also longitudinally; in fact, in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing they will dispose themselves upon the roller in the form of a spirally-arranged series as the screen is rolled up.

Those portions of the side members 12 adjacent the slits 15 are shown as curved to form a shallow groove or channel conforming approximately to the shape of the guide members 18. It will be understood, however, that the shape of the groove, at the apex of which is the slit 15, may be varied as to cross section and also that the shape of 1 position. If desired, the strip 20 may be beveled or tapered toward its lower side, in which event the section 13 will be so shaped as to cooperate therewith in insuring a tight fit. It will also be understood that the bottom section 13 may be omitted by roviding suitable means forinsuring that t e bottom of the screen shall closely fit at the lower edge of the window.

Hooks, catches or other suitable fastening means not shown may be provided either on the window casing, on the strip 20, or on the frame 10 for securely holding the screen 16 down in closed position during eriods of use. To insure that the screen will e tightly stretched when in the fully closed position it may be desirable to have the width of the screen 16 between the respective guide members 18 on the opposite side so adjusted that a slight lateral stretching action is exerted on the strands of the screen fabric when the screen is brought to its fully closed position.

The frame 10 may be attached to the window casing in any convenient manner. In the drawing this is shown as accomplished by means of screws 21 passing through the PI'OJBCtlOIlS 22 carried by the side sections 12.

In order to direct the edges of the screen 16 and the attached guide members 18 from the housing 14 into the channels 19 a supplemental roller 23 positioned at a point adjacent the outlet from the housing or hood 14 is shown. This roller may, however, be dispensed with without affecting the operativeness of the device, or varlous equivalent means for accomplishing the result may be substituted without departing from the invention.

While the invention has been described as particularly adapted for use with screens applied to dwelling houses, apartment vention is not to be deemed as limited other reliance,

houses and the like, it is to be understood that it is equally applicable for use with screens or other flexible fabrics applied to windows or similar openings in structures of various other kinds. It will also be understood that various modifications other than those above indicated may be made b those skilled in the art without departing rom the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the inthan as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A closure for windows and the like, comprising a flexible fabric, a roller upon which said fabric may be wound and un- Wound, means at the sides of said window to guide the lateral edges of said fabric as it is wound and unwound, and means attached to the said lateral edges and cooperating with said first-mentioned means to exert a lateral pull on said fabric when it is unwound to the closed position.

2. A screen for windows and the like, comprising a flexible reticulated fabric, a roller upon which said fabric may be wound and unwound, members defining divergent channels at the sides of the window to receive the lateral edges of the said fabric when it is unwound, and a plurality of spaced guide members attached to the respective lateral edges of said fabric, said guide members when the screen is unwound being in diverging rows and cooperating with the channel members to exert a lateral pull on said fabric.

8. A screen for windows and the like, comprising a flexible screen member, a supporting roller upon which said screen member may be wound and unwound, and means to retain the screen in a substantially uniform plane when unwound, said means including members defining channels at the sides of the window to receive thelateral edges of said screen and guide members attached to the said lateral edges and slidable in said channels, said guide members, screen member and channels being so associated that when the screen is unwound to the closed positiontension will be exerted upon the said screen laterally to maintain it in a. stretched or taut position.

4. An adjustable screen for windows and the like, comprising a flexible screen wider at the bottom than at the top, a roller upon which said screen ma be wound and un-' wound, a plurality o spaced members attached to the lateral edges of said screen and adapted, when the screen is rolled up, to dispose themselves in spirally-spaced positions upon the roller, and means at the sides of said window to guide the said lateral edges of the screen as it is wound and unwound and cooperating with said spaced members to maintain the screen when unwound to closed posiand in a substantially uniform plane.

ess

5. A eiesure fer windews and the like comprising unitary frame structure adapted to be attached ts the casing of a Window and ineiuding iieiiow side members, a housing fsiiied t0 adjacent ends sit said members, a mile; mounted "Within said housing, a flexible sea en the bottom than at the tsp attached at the top a) said roiiei', said ers having slots therein extending iiy thereof on the opposing sides i rs and cemmunicating at the tee said heusing t0 receive and guide the latei ai edges of said screen, a plurality of spaced members attached to the lateral edges of said screen and adapted to prevent the withdiawai 0f the edges of said screen lateraiiy from said slots, said last-mentioned members bearing against portions of the said side memiaers adjacent said slots and exerttensisii upon said screen lateraiiy when 2411 the screen is unwound be closed position.

in testimony whereofi t affix my signature,

W'ILLIAELI GR FFITHS, 

